Book review: Mythology 101: From Gods and Goddesses to Monsters and Mortals, Your Guide to Ancient Mythology, by Kathleen Sears

The tales of gods and heroes are often turned into tedious discourse that even Ovid would reject. This easy-to-read guide cuts out the boring details, and instead, provides you with a thrilling lesson in classic mythology.

From the heights of Mt. Olympus to the depths of the Underworld, this book takes you on an unforgettable journey through all the major myths born in ancient Greece and Rome, such as Achilles’s involvement in the Trojan War; Pluto’s kidnapping of the beautiful Proserpina; and the slaying of Medusa by Perseus, the heroic demi-god. You’ll also learn all about the wonders of the world as well as the greatest creatures ever recorded in history.

Like Charon navigating the River of Wailing, Mythology 101 will guide you through the most glorious (and completely terrifying) tales the ancient world has to offer. Goodreads

I have been extremely lazy and busy that it took about a week after I finished a certain book and then coming here to write what I think about the book; I don’t think that’s an admirable thing to do, but what can I do when all laziness and the temptation to procrastinate mix together in a bowl that is me? Anyways, I think this was the last of the Crash Course series that I have in my collection, and by far this was the least disastrous experience that I had. The Psychology 101 was horribly boring that I don’t think someone majoring in Psychology themselves would have enjoyed the book; the Religion 101 was a bit better but lost it touch comes the last chapter, it felt like the author wanted to quickly wrap things up; this one was an incredibly nice read from the beginning until the end.

It was easy-to-read, entertaining and definitely educational. If you’re a big fan of Greek and/or Roman mythologies, then I think you would like this book. Even though this was definitely was just a tip of the iceberg for all Greek and Roman Mythologies, but for those just newly venturing into this theme, it sure is a nice place to start. Almost, if not all, the Greek mythologies mentioned in this book were definitely something that I am already familiar about, but since Greek mythologies have a lot of dimensions, it means that one story can have a multitude of different details, so it can still be entertaining.

If for some reasons, reading about mythologies that you already know bore you, fear not, because this book is not about telling the mythologies with simpler words, it is about the aspects that may or may not be known to most people. For instance, the book talks about the significance of the three virgin goddess (Hestia, Athena and Artemis) and how it was considered important way back in Greek (spoiler alert, it’s not because virginity is considered a pure aspect of a female). It’s interesting to learn something new, even when you thought you were already fluent in a certain topic. Definitely a recommend piece, especially if you like a nice bedtime story, then go and pick this book for a late night reading before bedtime.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆

Title: Mythology 101: From Gods and Goddesses to Monsters and Mortals, Your Guide to Ancient Mythology